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Formerly known as SATIB Conservation Trust
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Comics

Composite image of 'Vusa the Guardian' wildlife conservation comic books

COMIC BOOKS

The "Vusa the Guardian" series of comic books are aimed at children between the ages of six to eleven. In southern Africa, these age groups fall within the school foundation phases of grades 1 to 3 (ages 6 to 8) and intermediate phases of grades 4 to 6 (ages 9 to 11).

An additional series of more in-depth storybooks aimed at teenagers in the senior school phases of grades 7 to 12 (ages 12 to 18) are currently in production.

Production of the comics is funded by corporate and private sponsors in partnership with species-specific conservation and research non-profit organizations who assist in delivering the comics to rural schools bordering wildlife protected areas in southern Africa and beyond. The comics are supplied to schools free of charge with the aim of assisting teachers in educating rural schoolchildren about conservation challenges and human-wildlife conflict.

All comics are formatted to American comic book trim sizes to provide the same “soft comic” look and feel as comics produced by publishers like Marvel (Spider Man, The Avengers, X-Men, etc) and DC (Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, etc). Recycled paper and eco-friendly inks that comply with ISO standards are used in the printing process.

In the terrestrial (land) animal series ten comic book titles have been published to date. In the marine series, one comic has been published with further species titles awaiting sponsorship funding. The table below shows the latest comics.

The comic books below are available to view in digital PageFlip format. To view a summary of each and flip through the pages online, simply click on the comic cover images (each opens a new browser window).

Educational comic book, "Vusa the Elephant Guardian-2025," from the Southern African Conservation Trust. It tells the story of a boy named Vusa and the lessons he learns about elephants as "gardeners" and "water finders," their social complexity, and conservation methods like using chili bricks and beehive fences to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

Older Comics

Older editions of the ‘Vusa the Guardian’ series are still available in printed comic book format (not available in digital PageFlip file format). However, digital files of these will become available as donations for updating and reprinting are received from our generous sponsors.

Future Comics

The “Vusa the Guardian” comic book series is a living initiative, constantly evolving to address new conservation challenges and highlight more of Africa’s iconic and endangered species. While we continue to distribute existing titles, several new comic books are conceptualized and awaiting funding to bring their vital educational stories to life. These include new terrestrial species like the African Bee, Donkey, Hyena, and Rhino, as well as a dedicated comic focusing on the broader African Environment (in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals). In the marine realm, we plan to expand our focus beyond the African Penguin to cover topics like Sharks and Kelp Forests. 

If you are passionate about protecting a particular African wildlife species and would like to see a dedicated educational comic produced, please visit Our Donate section and consider becoming a sponsor!